The temporary design of hairstyles for a longer period of time of up to several days normally employs the use of firming active ingredients. Therefore, hair treatment agents that temporarily shape the hair play a role. Corresponding agents for temporary deformation normally contain synthetic polymers and/or waxes as a firming active ingredient. Agents aiding the temporary deformation of keratinous fibers can be packaged, for instance, as hairspray, hair wax, hair gel or mousse.
One feature of an agent for temporary deformation of hair, also referred to hereinafter as a styling agent, includes giving the treated fibers in the newly modeled shape—i.e. a shape impressed on the hair—the strongest possible hold. This is also referred to as a strong hairstyle hold or a high degree of hold of the styling agent. The hairstyle hold is essentially determined by the type and amount of firming active ingredients used, wherein the other components of the styling agent can also have an influence.
In addition to a high degree of hold, the styling agent must fulfill a series of additional requirements. They can be roughly divided in to characteristics on the hair, characteristics of the respective formulation, e.g. characteristics of the foam, gel or sprayed aerosol, and characteristics relating to the handling of the styling agent. This includes, in for example, moisture resistance, low stickiness (tack) and a balanced conditioning effect. Furthermore, a styling agent may be universally applicable for all hair types, insofar as possible, and mild to the hair and skin.
In order to satisfy some features, a multitude of synthetic polymers was developed as firming active ingredients, which can be used in styling agents. The polymers can be divided into cationic, anionic, nonionic and amphoteric firming polymers. For example, the polymers may create a polymer film when used on the hair, which lends the hairstyle a strong hold and is sufficiently flexible in order to not break under stress. If the polymer film is too brittle, so-called flakes form, i.e. residue, which detach during movement of the hair and give the impression that the user of the corresponding styling agent has dandruff. Similar problems arise when waxes are used as a firming active ingredient in the styling agent. If the styling agent is a gel or a paste, the polymers nay also have thickening properties.
Cationic polymers that are used in hair fixing products are copolymers with two or more structural units. Specific copolymers of this type, based on the monomers N-vinylimidazole and N-vinyllactam with the INCI designations POLYQUATERNIUM-44, POLYQUATERNIUM-46 and POLYQUATERNIUM-68 and their use in agents for temporary hair deformation are described in the German application DE 10 2013 226 806 A1. Such copolymers are available under the trade names Luviquat® UltraCare, Luviquat® Hold and Luviquat® Supreme.
Additional anionic polymers that are used in hair fixing products are crosslinked anionic amphiphilic polymers that contain a (meth)acrylic acid unit and a (meth)acrylic acid oxyalkylene alkyl ester unit. Such polymers are described in the international patent application WO 2016/142013 A1 and are commercially available, for example, under the name BALANCE® RTF (INCI: acrylates/ceteareth-20 methacrylate crosspolymer). In styling products, this polymer essentially has the task of a thickening agent and film former.
The present disclosure addresses the problem of providing additional polymer combinations, which is exemplified by good film-forming and/or fixing properties, has a very high degree of hold without the need to dispense with flexibility and good moisture resistance—such as sweat and water resistance— and is also suitable for production of stable viscous and stable transparent cosmetic preparations. For example, currently available styling agents can be improved, because a good combination of stiffness and long-term hold (high humidity curl retention) is not always sufficiently available. Therefore, the present disclosure addresses the problem of preparing such styling agents that provide the aforementioned properties, for example with regard to good stiffness and a good, long-term hold.